Inaugural Louisville Hot Brown Week Debuts October 24-30

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (October 5, 2022) – A signature dish of Louisville since 1926, Louisville Tourism has teamed up with over a dozen local restaurants to produce the inaugural Louisville Hot Brown Week. The week will encourage locals and visitors to indulge in Louisville’s most famous dish by dining at participating restaurants offering $10-$12 Hot Brown specials from October 24 to 30.

A Hot Brown is a hot, open-faced sandwich made with Texas toast, thick-sliced turkey, cheesy Mornay sauce, crispy bacon and tomatoes, all baked until bubbling hot. The Hot Brown may be native to Louisville, but the dish is known around the globe, including recognition in Southern Living, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. It’s also been spotlighted on the “Today” show, “Good Morning America” and the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food.”

For those unfamiliar with the Hot Brown, the iconic dish was invented at Louisville’s historic Brown Hotel back in the 1920s. The hotel would regularly host guests for dinner and late-night dancing, and after kicking up their heels in the luxurious, gilded ballroom, would head to the restaurant for a bite to eat. It wasn’t long before they grew tired of the traditional late-night fare, so Chef Fred K. Schmidt came up with a new, mouthwatering menu item – and the decadent Hot Brown was born. The Brown Hotel will celebrate the 99th anniversary of its opening during the week on October 25.

Louisville Hot Brown Week will kick off with the inaugural Hot Brown Showdown benefiting Waterfront Park on Sunday, October 23 from 1-5pm. This cook-off and tasting event invites restaurants and caterers from around the Bluegrass to compete for the title of best Hot Brown or Hot Brown riff. Tickets are $30 and are available online.

“Louisville Tourism is proud to support and launch the inaugural Louisville Hot Brown Week to bring local, regional, and national awareness to a true Louisville original,” said Michael Fetter, Director of Marketing for Louisville Tourism. “The hot brown story and dish is iconic in Louisville and deserves this dedicated week to showcase the city’s culinary talents - giving visitors and locals an extra reason to dine out and experience Louisville’s unique, independent restaurant scene.”

Louisville, featured on Season 16 of Top Chef, continues to gain national exposure as a culinary destination. USA Today proclaimed Bourbon City one of “30 U.S. Cities with Underrated Food Scenes” while Escapism named Louisville one of the “Best Food Cities in the US.”

Current participating restaurants include Agave & Rye New Albany, Biscuit Belly, Brasserie Provence, Cask Southern Kitchen, Corner Flavors of Kentucky, Dundee Tavern, Gorilla Bob's Grub Shack, Louvino Douglass Hills, Louvino Highlands, Napa River, O’Shea’s, Parlour Downtown Louisville, Parlour Frankfort Avenue, Parlour Jeffersonville, Parlour New Albany, Rubbies, The Brown Hotel and The Village Anchor with more to be announced soon.

Additionally, an official Louisville Hot Brown Week app is now available. Navigate your way through the city and reward your APPetite with the app— available in both the Google Play and Apple Store. Check-in at four or more locations to be entered to win $250 in gift cards. You can download the app at qrco.de/bdLswJ.

Dining participants will also be able to earn points throughout the week towards a second grand prize of $200 in gift cards by checking into participating restaurants. Diners who accumulate 150 points during the week will receive a special ‘Get Down with The Hot Brown’ t-shirt as a bonus gift.

For details and most up to date list of participating restaurants visit www.hotbrownweek.com or follow @hotbrownweek on Instagram.